Wall panel



July 4, 1944.

P. S. HUYSSEN WALL PANEL Filed May 31, 1941 Patented July 4, 1944 WALL PANEL Prescott S. Huys sen, Glendale, Calif.

Application May. 31, 1941', Serial No. 396,607

6 Claims.

This invention relates: to-awall panel and more particularly to a panel which is provided with a removable section adapted, when in position, to form a part of the wall.

An object of the invention isto provide a panel equipped with a removable section, the section being of the same appearance as the wall and forming a part thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a removable wall section supported by the wall or by a frame mounted in the wall and freely moveable therein. Yet another object is to provide a removable wall section which normally forms a part of the wall but is unattached to the wall and readilyremova'ble therefrom. Another object is to provide a frame and a plate therein to form a removable wall section, the plate being surfaced with wall material such as plaster. Still another object is to provide in a wall panel a plate carried in a frame and stopmembors for preventing inward movement of a portion of the plate whereby the removal of the plate may be accomplished by exerting inward pressure on another portion thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a Wall panel a plate carried in a frame and a stop member carried by the frame limiting the inward movement of a'portion of the plate and providing a fulcrum for pivotal movement of the plate with respect to the frame. Other objects and advantages will appear from the following specification and drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the panel; Fig. 2 is a similar view with the removable section taken away; Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. -l,'show ing the removable section of the panel in position in the wall; Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view like that in Fig. 3 with the removable section of the panel shown in the process of removal; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view taken along the line '55 of Fig. 3 and Fig. 6 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view taken along the line 56 of Fig. 3. T T

In the specific emb odimentpf the invention described herein the assembly is shown inv connection with a wall Ill supported by the usual studs I! and 52. The wall it) may be of any suitable composition and as shown, includes a lath I 3 secured to the studs H and I2 and plaster I4 on the lath 13 forming the outer surface of the wall.

To the studs H and i2 is secured a frame s of metal or other suitable material. The frame l5 may be attached to the studs by nails it or mediate portion thereof other means. The frame preferably includes outwardly turned flanges H which bound a central opening QB in the frame. Along the sides of the frame and extending into the opening H! are strips l9 and 20 which act as stop members and preferably extend from the'lower portion of the frame to the central portion thereof.

A dished plate 2| is preferably received within the opening i8. The outward edges 22 of the sides '21 may extend along the flanges I':' of the frame [5. Preferably the edges 2-2 are immediately adjacent the flanges H but very slightly spaced therefrom. The plate is thus received within the opening it in the frame [5 and fits snugly therein. The very slight spacing of the edges 22 from the flanges i'l causes a small seam to appear along the edges of the plate.

The sides 23 of the plate 2! may be slightly inclined toward the central portion of the plate thus providing a greater spacing between the plate and the frame at the inner portions thereof. Preferably the sides are offset at an interto provide lateral flanges 24.

The dished portion of the plate 2| may be filled with plaster 25 or other suitable wall material. A plurality of openings 26 in the base of the plate 2% provide a key for securing the plaster to the plate.

As seen in Figs. 1 and 3, when the wall panel is completely assembled, the plaster 25, the edges "22 of the plate 2-! and the flanges H of the frame 1 5 are all flush with the surface of the wall Ii) and provide a smooth wall surface interrupted only by the seams around the edges 22.

In assembling the wall panel the dished portion of the plate 2! is filled with plaster or other wall material which forms a smooth outer surface for the plate and is in alignment on this surface with the outer edges 22 of the sides 23 of the plate. When plaster is used, the plaster will extend through the openings 25 in the base of the plate 2! and form'ikeying projections 21 therein. v

The plate 2| is inserted in the opening 18in the frame l5; Since the area of the outer surface of the plate is substantially the same as thatof the opening 18 in the frame IS, the plate will fit rather snugly within the frame with the lower edge 22 of the plate 2| resting on the lower flange H of the frame. The plate is inserted in the opening until the flanges 24 on the sides of the plate engage the stop members l9 and 2!] as seen particularly in the sectional view inFig. 6. The stop members are spaced from the outer edges of the flanges a sufiicient distance to bring the outer surface of the plate, when the flanges 24 are in engagement with the stop members I!) and 20, into exact alignment with the outer surface of the wall Ill. When thus assembled, the panel presents a smooth surface which forms a part of the wall and contains no projections whatsoever.

When it is desired to remove the plate 2| from the wall, it is necessary only to press inwardly upon the upper portion of the outer surface of the plate. As seen particularly in Fig. 4, such pressure will cause the flanges 24 on the sides of the plate to pivot about the upper ends 28 and 29 of the stop members I!) and 20 respectively. The lower portion of the plate will be projected from the wall and can easily be grasped with the,

fingers to remove the entire plate from the wall.

The plate 2| should be of a depth substantially less than that of the flanges ll of the frame. In other words, when the dished plate 2| and the flanges I! of the frame are flush with the surface of the wall the frame should extend into the wall a greater distance than the plate. The difference in depth of the plate and the flanges should be sufiicient to permit the plate to be moved inwardly in the removal operation, as shown in Fig. 4, without extending beyond the inner side of the frame. With this construction, the wall panel section may be placed directly above or in front of plumbing fixtures and the like without having the fixtures interfere with the movement or operation of the panel. Thus in operation no portion of the panel extends inwardly beyond the outer surface of the studding of the wall.

The removable section of the wall panel may be placed adjacent plumbing equipment in the wall or any other fixtures to which it is desired to gain access from time to time. The removable wall section serves to conceal such fixtures while at the same time permitting easy access to them. If desired, the entire wall panel may be covered with paint, paper or other covering material. When so covered the panel is completely concealed and may at the same time be readily used by breaking through the paper or other covering material.

The stop members l9 and 20 may obviously be of any suitable construction and may be located at various portions of the frame. It is important only that the stop members be disposed at an intermediate portion of the plate 2! so that they may serve the double function of limiting the in ward movement of the plate and of providing a fulcrum for the pivotal movement of the plate in the removal operation.

The sides 23 of the plate 2! need not be inclined toward the central portion of the plate at the inner ends thereof but such inclination permits the edges 22 to be arranged in a position more closely adjacent to the flanges l1 without interfering with the pivotal movement of the plate when the plate is removed from the frame.

While in the foregoing description certain details of construction have been set forth for the purpose of illustration, it will be understood that variations and modifications may be-made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Iclaim:

1. In a wall panel, a frame mounted in the wall, said frame being equipped with a central opening therein, a dished plate supported within the opening in said frame with the sides of the plate adjacent the walls of the frame around plate, said members being adapted to prevent inward movement of the portion of the plate engaged thereby, the other portions of the plate being free to move inwardly upon the exertion of pressure thereon whereby the plate pivots about said stop members within the frame.

2. In a wall panel, a frame mounted in a wall,

said frame being equipped with a central opening therein, a dished plate removably received within the opening in the frame with the sides of the plate adjacent the walls of the frame around the opening, the plate being supported by the frame and being freely movable with respect thereto, the outer edges ofthe frame and the plate being flush with the surface of the wall, and a pair of stop members carried by the frame and extending along and in engagement with the inner surface of the lower portion of the plate adjacent the opposite sides thereof, said members preventing inward movement of the lower portion of the plate, the upper portion of the plate being freely movable inwardly whereby upon exertion of pressure on the upper portion of the plate the plate moves pivotally witha in the frame and about said stop members.

3. In a wall panel, a frame mounted in a wall, said frame being equipped with a central opening therein, a dished plate removably received within the opening in the frame with the sides of the plate adjacent the walls of the frame around the opening, theplate being supported by the frame and being freely movable with respect thereto, the outer edges of the frame and the plate being flush with the surface of the wall, the sides of the plate being offset to provide lateral extension thereof, and stop members carried by the frame in engagement with the inside surface of the extensions on only a portion of the plate, said portion being adjacent one side thereof, said stop members limiting the inward movement of said portion of the plate and providing a fulcrum for the pivotal movement of the plate within the frame.

4. In a wall panel, a substantially rectangular frame mounted in a wall, said'frame being equipped with a central opening therein, a substantially rectangular dished plate equipped with openings in the base thereof to provide a plaster key, said plate being filled with plaster andbeing received within and supported by said frame, the sides of the plate being of a. peripheral shape corresponding substantially to the inside of the frame and being disposed immediately'adjacent for pivotal movement of the plate within the frame.

5. In a wall panel, a substantially rectangular frame mounted in a wall, said frame being equipped with a central opening therein, a substantially rectangular dished plate equipped with openings in the base thereof to provide a plaster key, said plate being filled with plaster and being received within the opening in said frame and supported by the lower wall of the frame about the opening, the sides of the plate being of a peripheral shape corresponding substantially to the inside of the frame and being disposed immediately adjacent the frame about substantially the entire periphery thereof, the plate being unattached to the frame and being freely movable inwardly and outwardly with respect thereto, the outer edges of the frame and the plate and the outer surface of the plaster in the plate being flush with the surface of the wall, the sides of the plate being offset to provide lateral extensions thereon, and stop members carried by the frame in engagement with the inside surface of the extensions on only a portion of the plate,

to limit the inward movement of said portion of ill) the plate and provide a fulcrum for pivotal movement of the plate within the frame.

6. In a wall panel, a frame member mounted in the wall, said frame member being equipped with an opening therein, a plate member disposed within the opening in said frame with the sides of the plate adjacent the walls of the frame around the opening therein, at least a portion of said frame extending below said plate and being in engagement therewith to provide the sole means of support for said plate within said frame, said plate being movable inwardly and outwardly within the opening in the frame and being completely unattached to said frame, and stop elements carried by one of said members and engaging a portion only of the opposite sides of the other member, said portion being intermediate the ends of the other member, the stop elements being adapted to prevent inward movement of the intermediate portion of the plate engaged thereby, the other portions of the plate being free to move inwardly upon the exertion of pressure thereon whereby the plate pivots within the frame about the stop elements.

PRESCOTT S. HUYSSEN. 

